Episode 89: The Man Bun

Let’s face it, Mark is a part timer at this point and we needed a fourth so we brought a Super Fan on! Jeff had a buddy down from IN so Jason fills in for Mark this week. We love you Mark! In this episode we discuss:

Outfitted with a pair of binoculars, an ALE agent parked across Haywood Road from Altamont Brewing at about 2:30 a.m. the morning of Feb. 18 (a Wednesday) and watched as the brewery’s bartender cleaned up and drank what was later determined to be Altamont’s porter.

Doug, Wynne and Corkie Odell had owned the brewery since its inception in 1989. The three sold 19 percent of brewery stock to a newly-formed employee stock option plan, in which all 115 workers participate. The stock will change in value as the company grows.

The craft beer world is getting a little smaller. Duvel Moortgat and Firestone Walker have signed an agreement to combine their U.S. operations. The deal will see Duvel making an investment in Firestone Walker, but both companies plan to continue operating independently.

Asheville, N.C. is widely recognized as one of the hotspots of craft – arguably the hotspot in the Southeast. But 128 miles to the east, the state’s business hub and biggest city is starting to build a reputation of its own. Charlotte, N.C. isn’t a place that often springs to mind for craft beer lovers, but it’s a mistake to overlook it – for a number of reasons.

Chris discusses his visit to both Sierra Nevada and Oskar Blues and of course we hit Buy/No Buy, I’d Tap That, and all the nonsense you have grown to loathe.